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- Ελληνικά
With a memorial service and the traditional commemoration event, the New York community honored the martyrs of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus at the Archangel Michael Church in Port Washington on Sunday, July 16. The event was organized by the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations in cooperation with the World Coordinating Committee for the Cyprus Struggle and the Consulate General of Cyprus. The service was presided over by Father Ioannis Kaponis.
The event was attended by the Minister of Defense Mr. Michael Yiorgallas, at the invitation of the Cyprus Federation of American Organizations, the Chief of the National Guard of Cyprus Lieutenant General Demokritos Zervakis, the Permanent Representatives of both the Republic of Cyprus and Greece to the UN, Ambassadors Andreas Hadjichrysanthou and Evangelos Sekeris respectively, the Consul General of Cyprus in New York Mr. Michalis Fyrillas, the Consul of Greece in New York Mr. Dimitrios Papageorgiou, the State Congressman of Brooklyn and State Island Michael Tanousis, Brigadier General Harris Georgiou, the Military Attaché of the Cypriot Embassy in Washington Lt, Major General Andreas Genaris, Lieutenant Colonel Vassilis Christoforou, Lieutenant Colonel Dimitris Demetriou, the President of the Federation of Cypriot Organizations of America Mr. Kyriakos Papastylianou, the President of PSEKA Mr. Philip Christopher and representatives of the expatriate community.
The Minister of Defense began his speech with verses from the poem "15.7.74" by the Cypriot writer Lefkios Zafeiriou. He stressed that for the Greek Cypriots, July 1974 is a nightmarish and disastrous milestone in the history of Cyprus, a horrible, dark moment of absolute destruction and unfathomable misery.
He said, among other things, that the civil division, the treason, the fratricidal instigated coup and the brutal Turkish invasion traumatized our homeland, wounded our people and determined and determine our future course, even today.
"Remembering the victims of this painful period, we pay our due tribute and gratitude. At the same time, we declare that we will continue the struggle to build the free homeland that our people deserve and for which the heroic fallen and fighters of Cyprus gave their lives," the Minister said.
He added that our debt to our homeland requires us to keep the memory of the fratricidal events of black July 1974 unquenched. What this sad anniversary taught us, he said, is that freedom and democracy are fundamental goods that we must guard like the apple of our eye, while division and fanaticism only bring evil and the beginning of the Cypriot tragedy on July 15 was completed with the Turkish invasion.
"The Cypriot journalist and writer, Anthos Lykaigyis, in his poem refers to the injustice, the bitter sigh, the death sown by the fratricidal conflict, the absurdity of division, and the nightmare that spread over Nicosia and covered the whole of Cyprus that cursed summer. The civil strife, which is unfortunately a frequent phenomenon in Greek history, like a curse devoured the bowels of Cyprus, opening wide the doors to a superior rival," he continued.On July 20, after the insanity of the coup, he added, Turkey illegally invaded the northern coast of the Republic of Cyprus, with the Turkish army showing no respect for anything. The Turkish Attils not only ravaged and plundered our towns and villages, they sowed death, devastation and destruction.
He stressed that "the thousands of dead and wounded, the uprooting from the ancestral homes and refugee, the drama of our missing and trapped people, the dragging of our places of worship, the destruction of our cultural heritage and the mass colonization and dehumanization of our occupied territories, with the aim of eliminating the Greek element, constitute, among other things, the tragic picture of the destruction that takes place to this day in our occupied territories".
He referred to the battles in Mia Milia, Kythraia, Synchari, Klepini, Lapithos, Kyrenia, Lorovouno, Koutsoventi, with the defenders of the freedom of Cyprus writing golden pages of bravery and militancy in the history of the nation.
He made a strong reference to the deposed Evagoras Pallikaridis during the EOKA period, while he was moved to express his gratitude to the fighters of the infantry units, the legendary Commandos, to the black-skinned men of the Armoured Corps, to the fallen Gunners, to the heroic diggers of the Engineers, to the Transports, to the glorious fighters of the Hellenic Cyprus Force and the A' Commando Squadron.
"The children of Greece who, as true descendants of the Macedonian Gladiators and Pindomachs, but also of all the heroes of the Nation, demonstrated unparalleled courage, paying a heavy blood tax and adorning the pantheon of the Nation's heroes with their greatness and their unparalleled sacrifice. Remembering today all these lads who fought or perished in the flames of the coup and the invasion, we make a promise to them that we will not forget the betrayal and crime and will justify their sacrifice and struggle." In conclusion, he stressed that the path of responsibility and dignity will continue until the longed-for day dawns when we will live again in the lands of our ancestors.
A documentary produced by the Federation of Cypriot Organizations of America was shown at the commemoration event, which included testimonies of people who experienced the invasion, either from the front or from the occupied areas.
Mr. Papastylianou, who then took the floor, said, among other things, that in Cyprus, for 49 years, July has been a month of mourning. He also noted that everyone's presence at the event is to honour the dead and those who took up arms to defend democracy in Cyprus. "We have a historical duty to those who died, to the missing, to the refugees, to all those who fought, to continue the struggle for a free Cyprus," he said.
WCCA President Philip Christopher thanked all those who attended the memorial service to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in 1974, the missing and those who continue to wait for 49 years. Michael Fyrillas, among others, stressed that it is very important to know the history of our country. We should write about those days of July 1974, evaluate them and thus deepen our own personal and internal introspection, try to understand how this tragedy fits into our identities, our future, the way we see ourselves as part of our community, he added. The fact that we are approaching the 50th anniversary should push us to intensify our efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem and to liberate Cyprus.
In his speech, the Commander of the Cyprus National Guard, Lieutenant General Demokritos Zervakis, expressed his great respect to the Cypriot community for their efforts for Cyprus and the honour of participating in the commemoration of the heroic fallen during the Turkish invasion.
He stressed the great duty we have, the supreme obligation, and the historical responsibility towards the future generations of Greece and Cyprus.
He stressed the great duty we have, the supreme obligation, and the historical responsibility towards the future generations of Greece and Cyprus. He described the Cypriot-American community as an invaluable bridge between the two nations, expressing also his appreciation for the community's tireless dedication to informing the American community about the plight of Cyprus and the ongoing efforts over the years to end its illegal partition and the Turkish military occupation.
"Your efforts have been instrumental in further strengthening the excellent current relations between Cyprus and the United States, our relationship has never been stronger, we are encouraged by the strong bilateral effort that supports in tangible ways further strengthening this strategic partnership, addressing common challenges to our peace and security," he said.
The event was also addressed by the Consul of Greece in New York and Congressman Michalis Tanousis. The celebration also included a photo exhibition sponsored by the Cyprus Press and Information Office, which featured images from the 1974 invasion.
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